[bluex]

Sound quality remains the same, maybe just a little bit more bass
But the comfort it's way way better

 

[beowulf]

Looking into this new budget boy for an S22 Ultra:

https://ifi-audio.com/products/go-link/

I have iFi Audio gear and am happy with them in general, but there's a limit given price, expecting no miracles but it should be able to drive my CA Andromeda.
Trying to order but if anyone has one, happy to hear comments.
OP's budget allows for something better, probably.

 

[bluex]

Guys, what's the difference between the RU6 and this ? Sound quality, I mean ( headphones, only )
https://ifi-audio.com/products/micro-idsd-bl/
Thank you

 

[bluex]

No ideas, guys?!

 

[LoneFurrow]

No ideas, guys?!

I know I'm stating the obvious, but you're comparing very different devices. RU6 is portable R2R ladder DAC/amp, powered purely from your phone. iDSD Black Label is more of a desktop device although you might deem it "transportable". As it has its own battery, it won't drain your phone and will give you masses more power to drive AH-D9200s.

The headphones themselves are pretty sensitive so shouldn't need a lot of power, but they'll certainly scale with a more competent device like the iDSD BL. I have AH-D9200 and RU6, along with a bunch of other devices. I haven't actually used the two together but can try tomorrow (it's after midnight in the UK) and report back.

What are you trying to achieve though? Are you trying to find a solution for mobile use whilst travelling? For use at work / home whilst stationary?

 

[bluex]

Thanks a million for your reply, LoneFurrow
For travelling, yes. After I purchased the AH-D9200 ( using it on my PC, with Creative Sound BlasterX AE-5 Plus ) it's almost impossible to use the Skullkandy Crusher ANC headphones, when I travel.
I want something ( AMP / DAC ) for the mobile phone, and I thought, iDSD Black Label would give me a better audio quality, than the RU6
Of course, the price is higher but if it's worth, I'll go for it
RU6 - 28 g
iDSD Black Label - 310 g
Thank you, again
LE : I tested the AH-D9200 with the Fiio x5 gen 3, it sounds absoultely amazing. Awesome

 

[LoneFurrow]

Hi bluex,

I’ve tried three portable DAC / amp options I have to hand:

Cayin RU6 ~ $250 USD
Fiio BTR7 ~ $200 USD
xDuoo XD-05 BAL ~ $430 USD

I used my Samsung S20 Ultra as source, connected via USB-C, streaming from Qobuz via UAPP. I was running the volume at around 40% on RU6 and BTR7 (high gain), and nearer 30% with the XD05 (low gain). This was in a quiet location, but I think you’d have plenty of headroom with any of the devices I tested unless you listen at ear-damaging volumes.

I found there was relatively little to choose between the three so let me just highlight a few differences. RU6 pairs very well with AH-D9200, offering a slightly warm, softer-edged sound. Vocals feel natural and precise, mids nicely balanced, bass solid. I’m a huge fan of R2R DACs so tend to use those more often than not.

BTR7 is slightly crisper in presentation than RU6 so bass appears tighter, treble a little clearer and more extended. As it has its own battery, there seems to be more power and control on offer. You can run it via USB or Bluetooth, Fiio provides an app for iPhone and Android that allows you to customise settings including EQ, and it’s eminently portable. The sound quality via Bluetooth (LDAC) wasn’t quiite up to standards of the USB connection, but it was still acceptable. You seem to lose a little depth and weight, and the sound stage appears a little narrower. The biggest issue with the BTR7 is battery life - maybe 1-2 days to drain a charge, depending on use.

XD-05 BAL didn’t seem to pair so well for me. The amp section is excellent and offers a lot of power to drive more demanding headphones than AH-D9200. However, I wasn’t so keen on the DAC implementation - I find it a little thin for my tastes with AH-D9200. It works better with warmer headphones / IEMs. The bass seems a tad light, treble a bit too sharp at times, mids not as rich as I’d like. I tend to use XD-05 BAL as an amp with an external DAC (e.g. HiBy RS6).

In terms of overall flexibility and portability, I’d give the win to the BTR7. I really like the sound quality offered by RU6 but it’s “just” a dongle. Clearly it will drain your phone battery and is a little more annoying to carry when connected to your phone. Synergy is so important, isn’t it? Personally, I think AH-D9200 benefits from a slightly warmer source or DAC. It was happier with RU6 and BTR7 than with XD-05, at least to my ears.

If you can afford it, I’d seriously consider the iFi xDSD Gryphon - https://ifi-audio.com/products/xdsd-gryphon/ . This is an excellent DAC / amp that offers a lot of hardware configuration to tune your headphones. It’s a little warmer than XD-05, includes Bluetooth so beats the iDSD Black Label you mention in terms of functionality, and also looks extremely cool (imho).

If you want an all-in-one DAP and don’t need full streaming services, you could look at something like the HiBy RS2 - https://hiby.com/products/hiby-rs2.

I hope this helps. Please shout if you have more questions or want me to test specific genres / tracks.

 

[bluex]

Thank you, again, LoneFurrow
I checked some reviews / YouTube videos.
xDSD Gryphon is the choice
I will order it, I won't search for any other options.
Thank you so much. I'll be back whe I receive the product
Marry Christmas and Happy new year to everyone

 

[bluex]

I ordered it, Thursday should be delivered
Altough I won't use it with the Skullcandy Crusher ANC, I'll test it, just curious if the sound quality is improved with xDSD Gryphon ( Bluetooth)
I'll be back when I get it, thank you

 

[LoneFurrow]

Happy to help. I hope you enjoy the Gryphon.

I ordered it, Thursday should be delivered
Altough I won't use it with the Skullcandy Crusher ANC, I'll test it, just curious if the sound quality is improved with xDSD Gryphon ( Bluetooth)
I'll be back when I get it, thank you

Great stuff. I really hope it delivers what you want. You have quite a lot of hardware configuration available so have a play around for a while to see what works best for your tastes.

 

[bluex]

Okay, I'm back with some first impressions, after about 15 minutes of testing, with the D9200
One single word should be enough : A M A Z I N G
Absolutely amazing, the sound quality
I'll keep testing.
Thank you very much for the advice

 

[LoneFurrow]

Really pleased to hear your initial impressions are so positive. I have Gryphon on order myself now, having finally had chance to test one properly today.

 

[bluex]

Amazing product.
It's worth every penny
Thank you, again, for the advice.
Happy new year, everyone.

 

[thyname]

The iFi xDSD Gryphon works (hard wired) with iPhone, correct?

For iPhone users, I wonder if there are that many choices for hard wired connection to a portable headphone Amp / DAC. The iFi XDSD Gryphon looks fantastic, but at $600, it’s a lot of money for casual / portable use on the go. Now with lossless Roon ARC for mobile, it would be great to use iPhone outside home

 

[LoneFurrow]

The iFi xDSD Gryphon works (hard wired) with iPhone, correct?

For iPhone users, I wonder if there are that many choices for hard wired connection to a portable headphone Amp / DAC. The iFi XDSD Gryphon looks fantastic, but at $600, it’s a lot of money for casual / portable use on the go. Now with lossless Roon ARC for mobile, it would be great to use iPhone outside home

There are plenty of smaller portable DAC / amps than the Gryphon that will still support iPhones. All you typically need is a lightning to USB-C cable, which is often included. You could look at something like the iFi Go Blu (will give you a similar "house" sound to the Gryphon), Qudelix 5k, Fiio BTR7, Shanling UP5, e.t.c. All these should be available under $250.